Goemon
Goemon is the total hero of our lives and the protagonist of the Ganbare Goemon series (Mystical Ninja series). Appeareance At the times of the arcade game Mr. Goemon, he was black-haired and he had a very long and strange face. The first Ganbare Goemon games for Famicom don't change much his apper eance, but his face looked a bit more angry and a bit less weird. The blue-haired Goemon that we all know was born in the Legend of the Mystical Ninja for SNES. Until Mononoke Sugoroku he had not changed anymore, but the New Age series tranformed him into a monster, just following the line of everything in that series. In Bouken Jidai Katsugeki Goemon, our old hero become a sort of stupid child. Luckily, Ganbare Goemon: Toukai Douchuu Ooedo Tengurigaeshi no Maki gave us back Goemon in his classic look of SNES and N64 games. Now-a-days, in the Pachisuro games, Konami had left him unchanged (however, it's more correct say that "Konami had left him totally")... Weapons The principal weapon, that Goemon used to carry by the times of Mr. Goemon, is a weird pipe. This strange object has become the sigil of our hero, and he has never left it since the origins. According to the gameplay rules of the franchise, the weapon increase its efficiency collecting fortune dolls, but in NES games the pipe disappeared after the first doll, and Goemon used to throw coins and, after the second power-up, to drop bombs (!). In the Legend of the Mystical Ninja, the player can choose between the melee attack (pipe, long pipe and a misterious yo-yo) and the distance attack (coins). The pipe, during Goemon's adventures, generally could be improved thanks to the fortune dolls, increasing in leght and range. In Mystical Ninja Starring Goemon and in the sequel Goemon's Great Adventure, Goemon has a wooden pipe, right from the start, but it become silver, and then golden (and even longer and longer). Already mentioned, the coin throwing '''is the favourite attack of Goemon's in order to attack far enemies. This "weapon" was the next level of the pipe, since the beginnings. In SNES games, the two things have been divided, but even the coin-throwing (ryo-throwing for the experts) can be improved. In N64 games, Goemon can hold the coin in his hand for some time, covering it with flames. The attack, obviusly, results more powerful than the standard one (it would be very strange if it didn't, after all) and more expensive, too (same here). If you are very poor, but you still want to hit enemies from distance, there's a solution for you! It's the '''chain pipe, a melee-attack with a lot of range value(with no ryos needed!). Or, at least, more range value than the standard pipe, even the golden one. In Ganbare Goemon 2: Kiteretsu Shogun Magginesu, the chain pipe is the third power level of the pipe. In N64 games, Goemon won't be able to hit over his head with the chian pipe, but only in horizontal way (this expression sounds very terrible, I know). In those same games, nevertheless, you never start with this weapon in your inventory, but you'll find it soon, in both the N64 games (let's not consider Mononoke Sugoroku a main game of the franchise...). Power In Mystical Ninja Starring Goemon, Goemon has a hidden power, too. After a gym owner showed him how to release that power, our hero will be able to turn golden his hair and become much stronger! Spending 10 ryos, for Goemon becomes a joke to grab heavy items, move giant blocks and destroy enemies. A very weird fact: if a foe hits Goemon while he's using the Sudden Impact power, will be hurt for a double damage. A bit tricky, in the end, isn't it?